Augusta radio is dead.

Any remnant of variety, choice or artistry on the town's airwaves is now lost to the static, and it was the loss of the alternative rock station WAEG (92.3 FM) that finally destroyed it. I admit, I'm not really an alternative-rock fan, but it was a far better choice than the contrived and mediocre stations that remain. Now, a turn of the dial gives only country, hip-hop/rap, classic rock and National Public Radio.

I don't expect Augusta's radio stations to equal the diversity of, say, Atlanta, but I believe that, in a town as diverse and rapidly growing as ours, it is absolutely inexcusable to have such a colossal lack of competence as the local broadcasting companies demonstrate.

We are a rapidly changing, increasingly forward-thinking city, devoted to new industry and commerce. It is unacceptable that the few people who actually reach hundreds of thousands of people on a daily basis can't even manage to adapt and change to the city's evolving population. It is a social medium's intrinsic responsibility to operate as a representative voice of that society, to reflect its trends and opinions.

There are many who call Augusta a hick town, but I refuse to believe our citizens are dumb enough to actually enjoy such a lazy, apathetic approach to music. The invention of the iPod and satellite radio has changed the world's musical landscape, and if local radio stations have any desire to stay on the air, I urge them to expand people's musical horizons as opposed to depriving them of any musical variety. It's no wonder that pop music has such a shocking dearth of talent.

You reap what you sow, and ignorance only breeds ignorance. As for me, I got an iPod for Christmas. You can count me as officially tuned out.

Andrew Rauch, Evans